anadi

Than Ramananda Raya quotes Yāmunācārya in his Stotra-ratna (43). 73 bhavantam evānucaran nirantaraḥ praśānta-niḥśeṣa-mano-rathāntaraḥ kadāham aikāntika-nitya-kińkaraḥ praharṣayiṣyāmi sa-nātha-jīvitam By always serving You ( Supreme Lord) - nirantaraḥ anucaran bhavantam the wheel of mind certainly becomes steady - ratha manaḥ eva niḥśeṣa praśānta When will I be exclusively one of the eternal servants - kadā aham aikāntika antaraḥ nitya kińkaraḥ of a such Master, I’ll live really happy - sa-nātha jīvitam praharṣayiṣyāmi 74 prabhu kahe, "eho haya, kichu āge āra" rāya kahe, "sakhya-prema — sarva-sādhya-sāra" The Lord said: This is all right - prabhu kahe eho haya Go on and say more - age kichu ara Ramananda Raya said: the divine love in friendship - rāya kahe sakhya-prema is the essence of all goals (of life) - sara sarva-sadhya. Tika: Although even dasya-prema is available in the eternal Goloka – Vrindavan, still Ramananda Raya starts the presentation of this eternal World of raga-atmika bhakti from the level of sakhya-prema and in this connection he qotes Sri Śuka (Bhāgvatam. 10.12.11): 75 itthaḿ satāḿ brahma-sukhānubhūtyā dāsyaḿ gatānāḿ para-daivatena māyāśritānāḿ nara-dārakeṇa sārdhaḿ vijahruḥ kṛta-puṇya-puñjāḥ In this way, from the transcendentalists who attained the happiness of impersonal brahman- ittham satām anubhūtyā sukha brahma from those who accepted the servitude for the Supreme Lord - gatānām dāsyam para-daivatena (and) from those who are under the shelter of the (material) illusory energyi - māyā-āśritānām Those who accumulated reams of pious deeds - kṛta-puṇya-puñjāḥ play like human children with (the Supreme Lord) - vijahruḥ sārdham nara-dārakeṇa Tika: These innocent friends of the Lord, love Him regardless His godhood. This is “spontaneous” love, where the Lord is loved in an intimate relation, just for the (sweet) way he is, not for what He is, not for His Lordship. This is one kind of love which give birth of – raga-atmika bhakti.

To underline that Divine Love in servitude - dasya-prema is the essence of all goals of life - sara sarva-sadhya, Ramananda Raya quotes the verse 9.5.16 from Şrimad Bhagavatam, where Durvāsā Muni eulogize the Divine Love in servitude of Mahārāgi Ambarīş, who it is not said to have practiced raganuga sadhan bhakti to become an eternal Vraja-vasi: 72 yan-nāma-śruti-mātreṇa pumān bhavati nirmalaḥ tasya tīrtha-padaḥ kiḿ vā dāsānām avaśiṣyate Only by hearing that name (of the Supreme Lord) - mātreṇa śruti yat nāma a man becomes pure - pumān bhavati nirmalaḥ What else remains to be attained for the one who serves - kiḿ vā tasya dāsānām the feet like a place of pilgrimage (of the Lord) - tīrtha-padaḥ Tika: This verse also glorifies the power of the name of the Supreme Lord. Therefore one should not neglect the chanting of the holy names of the Lord. The Brihad Näradiya Purana clearly states: harer nama harer nama harer namaiva kevalam kalau nasty eva nasty eva nasty eva gatir anyatha To make spiritual progress in Kali-yuga there is no other way, there is no other way, there is no other way than by chanting the holy name, chanting the holy name, chanting the holy name.” The importance of chanting the holy name in Kali-yuga (our time) kṛte yad dhyāyato viṣṇuḿ tretāyāḿ yajato makhaiḥ dvāpare paricaryāyāḿ kalau tad dhari-kīrtanāt (Srimad Bhagavatam 12.3.52) That same result tat (achieved) in Satya-yuga kṛte by meditation dhyāyataḥ on Lord Viṣṇu; viṣṇum in Tretā-yuga; tretāyām by performing sacrifices (in sacrificial arenas) yajataḥ makhaiḥ in the age of Dvāpara dvāpare by worshiping (theDeity of the Lord in Temple) paricaryāyām (is achieved) in the age of Kali kalau by chanting the names of Lord Hari hari-kīrtanāt A similar verse is found in the Viṣṇu Purāṇa (6.2.17), and also in the Padma Purāṇa (Uttara-khaṇḍa 72.25) and the Bṛhan-nāradīya Purāṇa (38.97): dhyāyan kṛte yajan yajñais tretāyāḿ dvāpare 'rcayan yad āpnoti tad āpnoti kalau sańkīrtya keśavam "Whatever is achieved by meditation in Satya-yuga, by the performance of sacrifice in Tretā-yuga, and by the worship of Lord Kṛṣṇa's lotus feet in Dvāpara-yuga is obtained in the age of Kali simply by glorifying the name of Lord Keśava." Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī has further quoted from the Brahma-vaivarta Purāṇa concerning the degraded condition of people in Kali-yuga: ataḥ kalau tapo-yoga- vidyā-yajñādikāḥ kriyāḥ sāńgā bhavanti na kṛtāḥ kuśalair api dehibhiḥ "Thus in the age of Kali the practices of austerity, yoga meditation, Deity worship, sacrifice and so on, along with their various subsidiary functions, are not properly carried out, even by the most expert embodied souls. Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī has also cited the Cāturmāsya-māhātmya of the Skanda Purāṇa concerning the necessity of chanting the holy names of the Lord in this age: tathā caivottamaḿ loke tapaḥ śrī-hari-kīrtanam kalau yuge viśeṣeṇa viṣṇu-prītyai samācaret "In this way the most perfect penance to be executed in this world is the chanting of the name of Lord Śrī Hari. Especially in the age of Kali, one can satisfy the Supreme Lord Viṣṇu by performing sańkīrtana.''

In the following vers Ramananda Ray explains the meaning of prema-bhakti: 69 nanopacara-krita-pujanam arta-bandhoh premnaiva bhakta-hridayam sukha-vidrutam syat yavat kshud asti jathare jaratha pipasa tavat sukhaya bhavato nanu bhakshya-peye By performing varieties of offerings and worshiping out of (deep, true) love - krita nana-upacara pujanam premna the friend of all distressed persons (the Supreme Lord) - arta-bandhoh indeed the heart of a devotee is made to flee in transcendental bliss - eva hridayam bhakta syat vidrutam sukha similarly as one becomes happy - tavat bhavato nanu sukhaya when food and drink (enter) the stomach- bhakshya peye jathare and there is a strong hunger and thirst - yavat asti jaratha kshut pipasa Tika: To perform real bhakti one needs a strong hunger and thirst for Krishna To underline this important aspect of true devotion Ramanada Ray talkes further about greed. 70 krishna-bhakti-rasa-bhavita matih kriyatam yadi kuto 'pi labhyate tatra laulyam api mulyam ekalam janma-koti-sukritair na labhyate The absorbing of mind in the taste of bhakti for Krishna- bhavita matih rasa bhakti krishna could be performed, if it would be available somewhere - kriyatam yadi labhyate kutah api In fact the greed is the only price to get it - tatra api laulyam ekalam mulyam labhyate Not the pious deeds of millions of lives - na sukritaih koti janma. Tika: Some consider that this would be the condition to start performing raganuga bhakti, but in fact Raganuga Sadhana Bhakti start with Shravan Dasa – the Hearing about the pastimes of Krishna in Vrindavan (including His dealings with the gopis) as also Bhaktivinoda Thakur writes in Harinama-cintamani providing details of how this process is to take place: ei ekadas bhava sampura sadhane pancha dasa lakhya hoy sadhakjive sravan, baran ara smaran, apana sampatti ei pancha vidha dasay ganan The sadhana relating to the eleven items of Siddh-pranali (ekadas-bhava) is executed in five progressive stage: 1) Shravan – dasha (the stage of hearing) 2) Baran- dasha (the stage of accepting) 3) Smaran-dasha (the stage of remembering) 4) Apana –dasha (the mature stage) 5) Sampatti dasha (the stage of perfection) How can be one greedy for something one does not know. So, as previously deliniated, one should first hear about the intimate dealings of Krishna with the different types of Vrajavasis, from books like Govinda Lilamrita, Krishna Bhavanamrita and Krishnanika Kaumudi, and ascertain what kind of loving relation one is most attracted to. This is the begining of ragananuga sadhana bhakti. 71 prabhu kahe eho haya age kaha ara raya kahe dasya-prema sarva-sadhya-sara The Lord said: This is all right - prabhu kahe eho haya Go on and talk further - age kaha ara Ramananda Raya replied: (Divine) love in servitudine - raya kahe, "dasya-prema is the essence of all goals - sara sarva-sadhya. Tika: In the previous verse the followers of Gaudiya Math (including associations like Iskcon -founder "Prabhupada" or Bhakti-Trust - founder Narayana Maharaja) use the translanlation of the word prema as spontaneous love, but this is the state of the eternal inhabitants of Vrindanvana, not that of a practitioner - sadhaka. and secondly this is not the meaning of the word prema. The fact that these verses do not refer to raga-atmika bhakti ( spontaneous bhakti of spontaneous love – of the inhabitants of Goloka Vrindavan) comes clear in the next verses 72- 75. Also one should know that raganuga bhakti is a type of sadhana, which has as goal the attainment of raga-atmika bhakti - bhakti of the spontaneous love of the eternal inhabitants of Vrindavan.

As Lord Gauranga heard that Verse from Srimad Bhagavatam spoken by Brahma himself, which says that one should let aside the endeavors to accumulate transcendental knowledge, and just hear about the pastimes of the Lord, for the first time, since the beginning of the discussion, Sri Caitanya says that this injunction is all right, or in other words is not external to the inner nature of the soul. So seen, we may assume that the Teachings of Lord Gauranga (Sri Caitanya) start with the hearing about the pastimes of the Lord. In this connection everyone can estimate what one’s own sadhana is supposed to start and continue with. 68 prabhu kahe, "eho haya, age kaha ara" raya kahe, "prema-bhakti -- sarva-sadhya-sara" The Lord said: this is all right - prabhu kahe eho haya continue to talk further - age kaha ara Ramananda Raya said: Devotional Service out of divine love (for the Supreme Lord)- raya kahe bhakti prema Is the essence of all goals - sarva-sadhya-sara. Tika: Here Ramananda Raya speaks about prema-bhakti, that means, he speaks about that devotional service, that one does for the Lord, out of one’s revealed loving relation with Him, and not because of other reasons. So one’s sadhana should get one to the point of revelation of one’s special kind of loving relation with the Lord. In the beginning as the devotee continues to hear about the pastimes of the Supreme Lord, one becomes attracted, in a specific way by Him, and as this attraction grows, it becomes attachment, like the attachment of His Own eternal associates, which naturally are inclined to do whatever may please the beloved Lord, in one of His specific Forms, one is attracted to. This is presented by the Gaudiya Vaishnava Rupa Gosvami, in defining the highest type of Bhakti, which he relates it to Sri Krishna. anyabhilaşita şunyam / jnana karmady anavritam anukulyena krişnanu / şilanam bhaktir uttama Cultivating the activities - şilanam - meant for the pleasure of Lord Krishna - anukulyena krişnanu - void of any material wishes – şunyam anyabhilaşita - uncovered by jnana (knowledge about the opulence of the Absolute) or karma (duty in varna-aşram dharma) – anavrita jnana karmady is called Supreme Devotional Service - uttama-bhakti. These activities are both external as well as internal, in the mind, where one may meet Krishna in the beginning, following a meditational process like the one prescribed by the Gaudiya Vaishnavas, called– raganuga bhakti.

As Lord Gauranga heard that Verse from Srimad Bhagavatam spoken by Brahma himself, which says that one should let aside the endeavors to accumulate transcendental knowledge, and just hear about the pastimes of the Lord, for the first time, since the beginning of the discussion, Sri Caitanya says that this injunction is all right, or in other words is not external to the inner nature of the soul. So seen, we may assume that the Teachings of Lord Gauranga (Sri Caitanya) start with the hearing about the pastimes of the Lord. Everyone should estimate what one’s own sadhana is supposed to start and continue with. 68 prabhu kahe, "eho haya, age kaha ara" raya kahe, "prema-bhakti -- sarva-sadhya-sara" The Lord said: this is all right - prabhu kahe eho haya continue to talk further - age kaha ara Ramananda Raya said: Devotional Service out of divine love (for the Supreme Lord)- raya kahe bhakti prema Is the essence of all goals - sarva-sadhya-sara. Tika: Here Ramananda Raya speaks about prema-bhakti, that means, he speaks about that devotional service, that one does for the Lord, out of one’s revealed loving relation with Him, and not because of other reasons. So one’s sadhana should get one to the point of revelation of one’s special kind of loving relation with the Lord. In the beginning as the devotee continues to hear about the pastimes of the Supreme Lord, one becomes attracted, in a specific way by Him, and as this attraction grows, it becomes attachment, like the attachment of His Own eternal associates, which naturally are inclined to do whatever may please the beloved Lord, in one of His specific Forms, one is attracted to. This is presented by the Gaudiya Vaishnava Rupa Gosvami, in defining the highest type of Bhakti, which he relates it to Sri Krishna. anyabhilaşita şunyam / jnana karmady anavritam anukulyena krişnanu / şilanam bhaktir uttama Cultivating the activities - şilanam - meant for the pleasure of Lord Krishna - anukulyena krişnanu - void of any material wishes – şunyam anyabhilaşita - uncovered by jnana (knowledge about the opulence of the Absolute) or karma (duty in varna-aşram dharma) – anavrita jnana karmady is called Supreme Devotional Service - uttama-bhakti. These activities are both external as well as internal, in the mind, where one may meet Krishna in the beginning, following a meditational process like the one prescribed by the Gaudiya Vaishnavas, called– raganuga bhakti.

66 prabhu kahe eho bahya, age kaha ara raya kahe jnana-sunya bhakti sadhya-sara The Lord said: This is external - prabhu kahe eho bāhya go on talking further- āge kaha āra Ramananda Raya replied: bhakti without knowledge about the opulence of the Absolute - raya kahe bhakti sunya jnana is the essence of all goals -sara sadhya Tika: After Şri Krişna Caitanya rejected also The Transcendental Knowledge mixed with Bhakti, jnana-misra bhakti as the essence of the goal of life - sara sadhya, Ramananda Ray presented a verse from Bhagavata Purana which indicates the renunciation of Transcendental Knowledge and The Immersion into the narrations of the pastimes of the Lord as the final goal of life. This verse was spoken by Brahma, the first being in the universe, to Şri Krişna, as He was only a „child”, after Brahma stole His friends and calves. This theft lasted only one second for the Brahma, but one year for Krişna in Bhauma-Vrindavan. Afterwards Brahma saw the friends and and calves were still there. He was somewhat confused, and he didn’t figure out what happened, but Krişna revealed the fact that all those friends and calves were not His friends and calves, but expansions of His own (Vishnu formes) that replaced His friends and calves. Seeing the extraordinary power and opulence of the Supreme Lord Krishna, in the form of a child, Brahma utters many verses in praising the Lord. One of these verses was presented by Ramananda Ray to Sri Caitanya, as proof for his statement that jnana-sunya bhaktiis the essence of the goal of life: 67 jñāne prayāsam udapāsya namanta eva jīvanti san-mukharitāḿ bhavadīya-vārtām sthāne sthitāḥ śruti-gatāḿ tanu-vāń-manobhir ye prāyaśo 'jita jito 'py asi tais tri-lokyām (SB 10.14.3) Letting aside the endeavours to accumulate transcendental knowledge - udapāsya prayāsam jñāne (which one) certainly respects - eva namanta living from the narations of transcendental situated persons- jīvanti -mukharitāḿ -sat which discuss about You - vārtām bhavadīya situated on the position of realising the Şrutis - sthitāḥ sthāne gatāḿ śruti with body, word and mind - tanu-vāń-manobhir the ones that endeavours in this way, conquer You (through attachment and love) - ye thais prāyaśo jito Although in the three worlds You are unconquerable - apy tri-lokyām asi ajita

To sustain his previous statement Ramananda Ray quotes from Bhagvavad-gita: 65 brahma-bhutah prasannatma na socati na kankshati samah sarveshu bhuteshu mad-bhaktim labhate param Spiritually situated, the happy soul -bhutah brahma prasanna atma neither lament nor hankers - na socati na kankshati (and) equally disposed to every being- samah sarveshu bhuteshu attains the highest devotional service for Me- labhate param bhaktim mat Tika: this is the transcendental level, from which True Bhakti (pure bhakti) can be done. But this is not the bhakti level. In this vers 18.54 from Bhagavad-gita, bhagavan Şri Krişna, shows clearly that Parama Bhakti can be executed, after the attainment of the spiritual platform (brahma bhuta). In the words of the Gaudiya Vaishnavas Param Bhakti can be attained after the stage of Bhava, which corresponds to the spiritual platform, as it is expressed by Rupa Gosvami in Bhakti Rasa-amrita Sindhu (1.3.1) śuddha sattva viśeṣātmā prema suryāḿśu sāmyabhāk rucibhiś citta māsṛṇya kṛd asau bhāva ucyate When the soul attains a specific pure goodness- atmā viśeṣa śuddha-sattva (which is the spiritual platform - brahma bhuta- but corresponding to a specific loving relation between the almost manifested spiritual body and the Lord), than the rays of the divine attraction manifest - prema-suryāḿśu sāmyabhāk and as the consciousness melts – citta māsṛṇya by a blend of divine tastes –rucibhiś, one attains the state of Bhava. So the attainment of the spiritual platform alone – brahma bhuta – based on knowledge about the greatness of the Lord did not satisfy Sri Caitanya, because this knowledge increases the awe and reverence and decreases the possibility of an intimate relation of love with the Lord.

As Sri Caitanya was also not satisfied with the new proposal (Karma-Yoga) as the goal of life, and Ramanada Raya proclaimed that one should better renounce varna-ashram dharma,and surrender to the Lord: 63 sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam vraja aham tvam sarva-papebhyo mokshayishyami ma sucah (quote from Bhagavad-gita. 18.66) Renounce any prescribed duty - parityajya sarva-dharman Take me as the only shelter - vraja mam ekam saranam I will liberate you from all reactions of sinful life - aham tvam mokshayishyami sarva-papebhyah don’t worry - ma sucah. Sri Caitanya was also not satisfied with that proposal as the goal of life: 64 prabhu kahe, -- "eho bahya, age kaha ara" raya kahe, "jnana-misra bhakti -- sadhya-sara" The Lord said: this is external - prabhu kahe eho bahya go on to talk further - age kaha ara Ramananda Ray said: Knowledge (about the Absolute) mixed with bhakti is the essence of al goals -raya kahe jnana-misra bhakti sara sadhya

Nitya-dharma Is explained in Srimad Bhagavatam An object is called a vastu, and its eternal nature is known as its nitya-dharma. “The word vastu is derived from the Sanskrit verbal root vas, which means ‘to exist’, or ‘to dwell’. The verbal root becomes a noun when the suffix tu is added. Therefore, vastu means ‘that which has existence or which is self-evident’. There are two types of vastu: vAstava and avAstava. The term ‘truly abiding substance’, västava-vastu, refers to that which is grounded in transcendence. Temporary objects, avästava vastu, are dravya (solid objects), guNa (material qualities), and so on. Real objects have eternal existence. Unreal objects only have a semblance of existence, which is sometimes real and sometimes unreal. “It is said in the Srimad-Bhagavatam (1.1.2) dharmaḥ projjhita kaitavo 'tra paramo nirmatsarāṇāḿ satāḿ vedyaḿ vāstavam atra vastu śivadaḿ tāpa-trayonmūlanam Renounce entirely dharma which yield material fruits – projjhita dharmaḥ kaitavo and herein (in Bhagavat Puran) get to know – atra vedyaḿ the transcendental, pure, eternal, - paramo nirmatsarāṇāḿ satāḿ auspicious real object (Sri Bhagavan) - śivadaḿ vāstavam vastu which uproots the threefold miseris - unmūlanam tāpa-traya Sri Bhagavan is the only real Entity (vAstava-vastu). The living entity (jiva) is a distinct or individual part of that Entity, while mAyA – the potency that produces bewilderment – is the energy of that Entity. Therefore, the word vastu refers to three fundamental principles: Bhagavan, the jiva, and maya. Knowledge of the mutual relationship between these three principles is known as pure knowledge (zuddha-jJana). The living entity - jiva - is a real entity, and his eternal characteristic quality is his true nature. Nature arises from the elementary structure of an object (ghaTana). By Lord’s desire, when an object is formed, a particular nature is inherent in that structure as an eternal concomitant factor. This nature is the nitya-dharma of the object The true nature or nitya-dharma of jiva is - divine love – prema and - the urge to show it by rendering service - bhakti. The object of that prema is the Supreme Lord. If you study Bhagavat Puran you will realize this truth, and you will go on study the teachings of Sri Caitanya, which are based on Bhagavat Puran. The true nature or nitya-dharma of jiva gets distorted by long-term association with the illusory energy maya. The nature of a given object becomes altered or distorted when a change takes place within it, either by force of circumstance, or due to contact with other objects. With the passage of time, this distorted nature becomes fixed, and appears to be permanent, as if it were the eternal nature of that object. This distorted nature is not the svabhAva (true nature); it is called nisarga, that nature which is acquired through long-term association. This nisarga occupies the place of the factual nature, and becomes identified as the svabhAva. The svabhAva of an object is its nitya-dharma (eternal function), while its acquired nature is its naimittika-dharma (occasional function). (based on Jaiva Dharma of Bhaktivinod Thakur)

Krishna said at the end of His gita, that one should renounce any dharma and just surrender unto Him. The meaning of Surrendering is given in Vaişnava-tantra (quoted in Bhakti-sandarbha (Anuccheda 236) by Raghu-nath das Gosvami : anukulyasya sańkalpa pratikulyasya varjanam rakśiṣyatiti viśvaso goptṛtve varaṇaṁ tatha atma-nikśepa-karpaṇye sad-vidha śaraṇagati There are six sympotoms of surrendering: (1) anukulyasya sańkalpa – The oath (sankalpa) to accept those things which are favorable - Anukulyasya (for spiritual life). (2) Pratikulyasya-varjana – The oath to reject those things which are not favorable (for spiritual life). (3) rakśiṣyatiti viśvaso – having confidence –vişvas – that the Lord is the protector and that one cannot really get protection from anyone else, or any other activities, except the ones related to the Lord. (4) goptṛtve varaṇaṁ – having confidence that the Lord is one’s real maintainer. (5) atma-nikśepa– offering one’s soul to the Lord, expressed by the attitude: “I cannot do anything without Him. Without Lord’s desire, nothing can be accomplish.” The devotees, which have no other shelter, have this type of confidence. (6) karpaṇye – to be humble, expressed by the attitude: “I am very low and insignificant.” In this connection some Gaudiya Vaishvavas sing this song: Sri-kṛṣṇa-caitanya prabhu jīve doyā kori’ swa-pārṣada swīya dhāma saha avatari’ atyanta durlabha prema koribāre dāna śikhaya śarańāgati bhakatera prāńa Because of His compassion for the fallen souls, Şri Krişna Caitanya came in this world with His associates and His divine abode. To freely distribute the ecstatic love of God, which is very hard to attain, He preached sharanagati (the six ways of surrender). This sharanagati is the very life of devotees. dainya, ātma-nivedana, goptṛtve varańa ‘avaśya rakṣībe kṛṣṇa’—viśvāsa, pālana Humbleness, dedication of the soul, accepting Lord Krişna as the only maintainer and protector. bhakti-anukūla-mātra käryera svīkara bhakti-pratikūla-bhāva varjanāṅgikāra Accepting all that is favorable for bhakti, and rejecting that which is unfavorable. şad-aṅga śaraṇāgati haibe jāhāra tāhāra prārthanā śune śri nanda-kumāra The prayers of those, who follow the six ways of surrender are heard by the young son of Nanda Maharaja (Şri Krişna). This surrendering is not bhakti, but the door to bhakti. And as such Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu told Ramananda Ray, that this is also external (to bhakti)

See please the opinion of Sri Caitanya regarding sva-dharma:

Sri Caitanya was also not satisfied with the new proposal (Karma-Yoga) as the goal of life, and Ramanada Raya proclaimed that one should better renounce varna-ashram dharma, and should surrender to the Lord: 61 prabhu kahe, — "eho bāhya, āge kaha āra" rāya kahe svadharma-tyāga, ei sādhya-sāra" The Lord said: This is external - prabhu kahe eho bāhya go on talking further- āge kaha āra Rāmānanda Rāya replied: Renuouncing one's own prescriebed work , this is the essence of all goals - rāya kahe tyāga sva-dharma ei sāra sādhya. 62 ajnayaivam gunan doshan mayadishtan api svakan dharman santyajya yah sarvan mam bhajet sa ca sattamah Although (these) are my instructions for everyone’s prescribed work – api adishtan maya svakan dharman Thus knowing (its) qualities and faults- evam ajnaya gunan doshan anyone who renounce everything - yah santyajya sarvan and worships Me - ca mam bhajet is the highest transcendentalist -sah tamah sat. 63 sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam vraja aham tvam sarva-papebhyo mokshayishyami ma sucah (quote from Bhagavad-gita. 18.66) Renounce any prescribed duty - parityajya sarva-dharman Take me as the only shelter - vraja mam ekam saranam I will liberate you from all reactions of sinful life - aham tvam mokshayishyami sarva-papebhyah don’t worry - ma sucah. Tika: Krishna said at the end of his gita, that one should renounce any kind of dharma (related to varna-ashram, as was the case with Arjuna, He talked to). In this connection, Srila Raghunatha das Gosvami, a renowned Gaudiya Vaishnava, writes in his booklet Instruction for the mind - Manah-siksha (Mantra 2): na dharmaḿ nādharmaḿ śruti-gaṇa-niruktaḿ kila kuru vraje rādhā-kṛṣṇa-pracura-paricaryām iha tanu saci-sunum nandisvara-pati-sutatve guru-varam mukunda-presthatve smara param ajasram nanu manah O mind really don’t do either dharma or adharma – manah kila kuru na dharmam na adharmam mentioned (in the writings) that follow the vedic literature - niruktam gana sruti but do the abundant worship of Radha Krişna here in Vraja - tanu paricaryam pracura radha-krisna iha vraje (and) certainly always meditate on the son of Saci (Gaura – Sri Krishna-Caitanya) - nanu ajasram smara saci-sunum As the son of the leader of Nandagram (Nanda Baba – the father of Krişna) - nandisvara-pati-sutatve and the best spiritual master, who is very dear to Mukunda – varam guru presthatve mukunda

...If I say he likes to eat sweets cooked by his friends or his devotees, because my guru told me, it is not my opinion, it is my spt master's instruction. I used that meaning of the world. Hare Krishna Maroud, from your writing, I understood that the opinions you presented, are others opinions. You don't agree that if you follow somebody's opinions (like that of a guru) it means you agree with them (giving all support) and using them as evidence in your argument, it means it is also your opinion. There are many gurus, devotees and associations which teach that one should preach as a brainlesss loud speaker, which you try to deliniate hear by saying that the instructions of the guru is not also your opinios.

Sri Caitanya was not satisfied with the answer of Ramananada Raya regarding the goal of human life, as this said that acting according one's prescribed duties (varna-ashrama dharma) would be that goal of life: 59 prabhu kahe, — "eho bāhya, āge kaha āra" rāya kahe, "kṛṣṇe karmārpaṇa — sarva-sādhya-sāra" The Lord said: this is external - prabhu kahe eho bāhya continue to talk further - āge kaha āra Śrī Rāmānanda Rāya said: Offering the results of (one’s own) occupational duties to Krişna - rāya kahe arpaṇa karma kṛṣṇe Is the essence of all goals -sāra sarva sādhya And as we may see Rāmānanda Rāya sugested a better solution, not only karma (acting according one's prescribed duties) but Karma-Yoga as the goal of human life: Offering the results of (one’s own) occupational duties to Krişna. And to back up his sugestion he gives pramana (evidence) from the scriptures: 60 yat karoṣi yad aśnāsi yaj juhoṣi dadāsi yat yat tapasyasi kaunteya tat kuruṣva mad-arpaṇam “Whatever you do, whatever you eat, whatever you offer or give away - yat karoṣi yad aśnāsi yaj juhoṣi dadāsi yat whatever austerities you perform, O son of Kunti(Arjuna), do that, as an offering to Me - yat tapasyasi kaunteya tat kuruṣva mad-arpaṇam “ Tika: Krishna said also previously to Arjuna that one should do one's duty unattached to the result, only as a matter of duty: tasmād asaktaḥ satataḿ kāryaḿ karma samācara asakto hy ācaran karma param āpnoti pūruṣaḥ (Bhagavad-gita 3. 19) “Thus a person who always performs - tasmāt pūruṣaḥ satatam samācara kāryam unattached the work according one’s own duty - asaktaḥ karma certainly performing the prescribed duties achieves the Supreme - āpnoti hi karma ācaran param”

Well, as long as you say or write something, that what you say or write it is the opinion you have, because you subsribe to it. It was your choice to repeat, what a devotte said, because you belive it, and that was your belief (opinion). The problem is that there are dífferent kinds of devotees, that also heard something, from other devotees but not really studied the shastra by themselves, and this kind of knowledge is not first rate knowledge. One should come to the platform to study the scripture by himself, after he heard different opinions of different devotees which may belong even to different vaishnava schools or associations, because according to the most basic vedic principle, the scriptures are the highest evidence, as Sri Rupa says in his Laghu Bhagavat-amritam.